


Ways In Which It's Possible to Like Girls

by Bookworm1063



Series: CO Countdown 2020 [6]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Carry On Countdown (Simon Snow), F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:02:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27799660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookworm1063/pseuds/Bookworm1063
Summary: “No problem,” Penny says. “Looks like none of us are straight now.”“What?” I blink at her. “You aren’t? And what about Simon?”“No,” Penny says. “I’m biromantic. And gray-ace. And have you seen the way Simon looks at Baz?”Penny and Agatha have a conversation about sexuality, romance, and labels.
Relationships: Penelope Bunce & Agatha Wellbelove
Series: CO Countdown 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2026988
Comments: 6
Kudos: 18
Collections: Agatha Wellbelove fics, Carry On Countdown 2020





	Ways In Which It's Possible to Like Girls

**Agatha**

I’m still not sure what I’m doing here. Wasting time I could be spending with my Normal friends, two days before Christmas.

Penny and I are sitting in the Bunce’s library, at a small table tucked away in the back. Penny’s mum had magicked us a plate of scones and banished us here so she could make a phone call in the kitchen. Penny insisted on staying long enough to make a pot of tea.

So now I’m having tea and scones in a library with Penelope Bunce. Like we’re back at Watford.

“Is this weird?” I ask. “Us hanging out without Simon?”

“No,” Penny says. “But if it was, it would only be because you two are both being completely ridiculous.”

“What do you mean?” I set my cup of tea back down on the table (no saucers. Penny forgot to grab them.) “I thought you didn’t think we were good together?”

“I didn’t!” Penny says. “And I still don’t.”

“Right. So we broke up. This is typically how it goes,” I say. “Most people don’t stay friends after they break up, Penny.”

“So you’re never going to speak to Simon again?”

“I didn’t say that.” I reach for a scone and change my mind with it halfway to my mouth. I set it down on the table, next to my tea.

“Why did you break up?” At my expression, Penny raises her hands. “I know, I know. You two were a bad fit—how many times do I have to agree with that? I’m just wondering why you think so.”

Damn Penelope and her insatiable curiosity. I’m not sure I want to talk about this.

“I guess I didn’t think so,” I say. “I just don’t love him that way. I don’t think I can love him that way. Or… or anyone. Romantically, I mean.”

Penny shrugs. “Okay.”

“Okay?” I shake my head. “That’s it? Penelope, there might—I’m afraid there’s something wrong with me.”

“There isn’t,” Penny says. “I swear. Here.” She fishes her mobile phone out of the pocket of her skirt and types something into it. Then she turns it around so I can see the screen.

She’s Googled the word _aromantic._

I scan Google’s definition. I didn’t know there was a word for this. I didn’t think there might be other people like me.

“Maybe,” I say. “I think… thank you, Penny.”

“No problem,” Penny says. “Looks like none of us are straight now.”

“What?” I blink at her. “You aren’t? And what about Simon?”

“No,” Penny says. “I’m biromantic. And gray-ace. And have you seen the way Simon looks at Baz?”

I file away the bit about Simon and Baz for later. “I don’t know what that means,” I admit.

“I like people without really caring too much about their gender,” she says. “Romantically. And I rarely experience sexual attraction.”

“Oh,” I say. I’m starting to feel like I’m in class or something, with how much I’m learning. “So… you can like someone, but not want to kiss them. And, you know, stuff.”

“If by _stuff_ , you mean _have sex with them_ , then yeah,” Penny says.

“Does that…” I clear my throat. I can’t remember the last time I was this awkward around Penny, but then, I don’t think we’ve ever had a conversation about sex before. “Does that work in reverse? Like, could someone, hypothetically, want to have sex with someone without liking them romantically?”

“Of course,” Penny says.

“And out of curiosity,” I say. “Shut me up if this is too much. Have you ever kissed a girl?”

“Once,” Penny says. “Third year. It was my first kiss.”

“What was it like?”

“It was okay. I wasn’t really into her. And it was, you know, my first kiss.” Penny tilts her head, considering. “We could try it, if you wanted to.”

“What?” I’m so startled, I almost knock over my tea. Mitali Bunce would never forgive me if I spilled tea in her library.

“You could kiss me. I wouldn’t mind kissing you. I’ve thought about it before,” Penny says, matter-of-fact. “It wouldn’t mean anything. But if you were curious.”

I _am_ curious. I’ve opened a door I don’t think I can close. And I’m not sure I want to.

“Okay.”

Penny shuffles her chair closer to mine, moving around the table so we’re side by side. She leans in, and I close my eyes.

Penny’s an okay kisser, but I like it. I kiss her back, and we do that for a few minutes before she pulls away.

“How was that?” she asks.

I shrug. “It was good. I kind of liked it. You?”

“Meh.” Penny seesaws her hand back and forth. “I’ve had better, I’ve had worse. I didn’t really care, to be honest.”

“Thanks,” I say. Then I wonder if it’s weird to thank someone for kissing you. “For helping me figure stuff out, I mean.”

“Any time,” Penny says. “I’m probably not going to kiss you again, though.”

“That’s fine,” I say. “I’ve got enough to think about as is.”

**Two Years Later**

**Penelope**

I don’t know when Agatha got into Instagram, but she’s been bothering me to get one since everything that went down at Watford. She’s back in California now, and she says she’s tired of having to text me all of her selfies after she’s already posted them.

“Simon,” I say. “Do you have an Instagram?”

Simon’s sitting cross-legged on the floor, reading over an assignment for his uni. “No. Should I?”

Baz gets up from his spot next to Simon (I still can’t believe Simon talked Baz into sitting on the floor, but it’s not the first time it’s happened) and comes around the kitchen table to peer over my shoulder at my phone. “What are you doing, Bunce?”

“Agatha wants me to get Instagram,” I say. “I don’t know anything about Normal social media.”

“Then how to you stay in touch with your Normal boyfriend?” Baz asks. He takes my phone and starts tapping at the screen.

“We text, Basil,” I say. “And call. Give me back my phone.”

Baz steps away from me and keeps typing. “Bunce, go get your computer. They’re emailing you a verification code.”

“A what?” I go get my laptop from my room and read the code off to Baz. A moment later, he’s searching Instagram for Agatha’s account.

“Here we go,” he says. “Agatha Wellbelove. You’re following her, and… huh. I didn’t know Wellbelove was queer. So much for my gaydar.”

“Is she?” Simon calls from his spot on the floor. “We’re running four for four now.”

I take my phone back from Baz and peer at Agatha’s bio.

_English by blood, Californian at heart. Pansexual aromantic. She/her._

“Huh,” I say. “Good for her. You boys better have your pronouns in your bios, too, by the way.”

“I don’t have social media,” Simon says.

“They’re on my Tumblr,” Baz says. I didn’t even know Baz had a Tumblr, but then, I barely know what Tumblr is.

“How do I edit mine?”

Baz shows me where, and I type:

_Biromantic, grayace, witch. Be as good as your word. She/they._

  



End file.
